Considering Raw

[nes]

I'm looking into feeding the kitties raw, but there is SO much information about it :S.

I have one question to start with:

Chicken is VERY expensive in our area, can I feed just beef?

With chicken bits maybe once a week (maybe - it's really $$$), maybe pork if we can find a supplier, maybe venison & wild turkey in season. I have a farmer to supply me beef.

 

[furryfriends50]

You want to feed as much variety as you can. That being said I feed mainly chicken, beef, pork, turkey, and (ground) lamb. I don't use the expensive cuts of meat, anything under $2 is what I go for.

If you can't feed chicken what are you going to do for bones? That's one of the main reasons to feed chicken. Can you get chicken necks? Those tend to be much cheaper if you can find them.

Keep in mind that a cat only typically needs 2-4% of their body wieght a day. So a 10 lb cat only needs to eat 3.2-6.4 ounces of meat a day. Some cats need less than 2% and that is all the farm cats need now. In the winter it does get higher for mine, about 3%, but that is still not much meat.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Everything you mentioned is fine to use but do NOT use raw pork in any form. If you can't get the chicken and can get the turkey, you can use the smaller bones in that.

 

[dan138zig]

why no mentions of fish? is it that bad for cat?

 

[nes]

I have issues with feeding fish because I worry about the sustainibility of how it is being harvested. I don't eat fish more then a few times a year & neither do my cats :|.

That was a good point about bones FF. I guess I was thinking more for the dogs who eat beef bones. My cats will gnaw on them - but that's not the same thing

.

I think I've decided I'm not going to change their diet until we buy our next home where we'll be able to raise our own chickens.